Supporting the agroecological transition of Benin’s pineapple sector

As part of the project “Support to the agroecological transition of the pineapple sector in Benin”, COLEACP, with the help of a Beninese expert, is evaluating the performance of more than 400 producers and 15 processors with the goal of developing a personalised transition.

Specifically, this project aims to carry out a three-step intervention:

• Prepare and conduct a training session on the theme “Assessment, reduction and recovery of waste from the pineapple sector: identifying and assessing the quantity of waste”
• Support companies in collecting data on waste (in the field and at the processing unit level)
• Compile, analyse and share the results.

To this end, COLEACP has developed a tool that enables processors to assess the amount of waste produced and, consequently, to improve processing efficiency.

In the first stage of the project, company-specific training is planned, which will cover waste recovery and support in carrying out a preliminary assessment of the volumes and types of co-products/waste generated at the production level (via a sample of producers to be defined) and at the level of the processing site.

This is a project-based training: it aims to promote the ideas, knowledge and skills acquired during the training through direct application within the participants’ structures. After the introductory phase, the expert will coach each company in the follow-up and collection of data over a period of 3–5 months.

At the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the benefits of reducing and recovering pineapple waste
• Identify the types of pineapple waste generated throughout the production chain and the causes and critical stages
• Assess the amount of waste generated throughout the production chain using record sheets.

The data collected will be key to enable the technical and financial evaluation of the different waste reduction/recovery options, and to identify the most suitable technology/solution for each company.

This activity was organised within the framework of the Support to the agroecological transition of the pineapple sector in Benin, financed by ENABEL through its Development of Entrepreneurship in Agricultural Sectors Programme (DEFIA) and implemented by COLEACP.